Clinical research offers important insights for combating diseases and health related issues. When a patient volunteers to participate in a clinical trial, they are helping researchers improve health care and find better treatment options. Clinical research improves the health and quality of life for people living with illness.
At Preferred Research Partners, we want to make sure you have an understanding about clinical trials, as we firmly believe they are the key to health breakthroughs of the future.
What Are Clinical Trials?
Clinical trials are research studies led in a group of volunteers with the purpose of evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioral treatment. Through this, researchers are able to discover the safety and effectiveness of new treatments as they are designed to determine if a treatment works, if it works better than other treatments and if there are any side effects.
How Do Clinical Trials Work?
Clinical trials advance through four phases to ensure treatments are adequately tested and confirmed safe.
- Phase 1: Assesses and evaluates the safety of a new drug or device
- Phase 2: Measures the effectiveness, safety, and optimal dosing of a drug or device
- Phase 3: Assesses safety and effectiveness, in larger populations, and may compare the drug or device to standard treatment
- Phase 4: Continues to study the safety and effectiveness of a treatment in the long term, even after it has been approved by the FDA.
Why Do People Volunteer?
Participating in a clinical trial allows individuals to contribute to medical knowledge. Clinical research advances the development of groundbreaking new treatments. Participating in clinical trials allows patients to help others, have the opportunity to receive investigational treatments not currently available in the market, and receive regular monitoring by medical professionals.
So, Why Should You Participate? What’s in it for the Patient?
Clinical research improves the health and quality of life for people all over the world. Volunteering to take part in a clinical trial makes it easier to receive new medicine or treatments. Increased participation will allow clinical trials to progress quicker, decreasing the time it takes between medical discovery and patient’s access. Working together is the best way to advance the clinical research industry forward.
